The Masonry Institute of St. Louis (MISL) has announced the winners of its 2006 Excellence in Masonry Awards, a juried masonry design and craftsmanship competition. Held every three years, the awards recognize the outstanding masonry projects recently constructed in the St. Louis metro area. The winners were announced at the America's Center in downtown St. Louis.

In addition to the design and craftsmanship awards, a special Community Award for an organization's body of masonry structures was presented to the city of St. Louis's Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry for its abundance of historical and contemporary masonry structures in Forest Park. Mayor Francis Slay accepted the award for the city.

The MISL is a promotional organization that serves as an educational and informational resource on masonry design and construction on behalf of the Mason Contractors Association  St. Louis and Bricklayers' Union Local #1 of Missouri. For more information, please visit www.masonrystl.org.